Jeffrey James Shuman, whom authorities believe is Canada’s most prolific bank robber, was flown back to the GTA from Europe on Saturday to face a slew of charges stemming from 21 gunpoint heists.

But Sun sources say the 53-year-old French-American national’s extradition to Canada was fraught with turbulence.

The trip took five days, involved an alleged escape attempt and ultimately required a private jet.

He put up a fight to the bitter end, one source said.

Shuman had a lengthy history of bank robberies south of the border, where he was dubbed the Reebok Bandit, long before surfacing in Canada.

He was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 1995 for leaping over counters while wearing the iconic running shoes and snatching cash from tellers during 14 armed robberies in a seven-month period in Florida and Tennessee.

But in March 2004, Shuman sprinted to freedom while on supervised release and migrated north.

He vanished for six years.

Then, in February 2010, a man with a very similar M.O. held up two Markham banks in as many days.

The bandit, who soon became known as The Vaulter, would go on to rob another 10 banks in York Region, four in Calgary, two in Peel Region and one each in Hamilton, Ottawa and Toronto over the next five years.

Toward the end of the robbery spree, The Vaulter switched from hopping over counters to takeover-style heists, striking first thing in the morning by abducting employees at gunpoint then locking them in the bank’s vault.

It’s believed the bandit netted more than $500,000 in the 21 heists, most of which were successful.

After the last holdup on May 8, 2015, the Canadian Bankers Association offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

At that point, The Vaulter’s identity remained a mystery.

But the investigation, spearheaded by York Regional Police, was clearly gaining momentum and the widespread release of numerous suspect images was no doubt making life difficult for the culprit.

After identifying Shuman — a dual U.S. and French citizen — as a suspect, investigators sought an international warrant for his arrest and widened their net to include overseas.

On Sept. 15, 2015, Swiss police spotted Shuman driving through Geneva, took him into custody and the wheels of the extradition process began to turn.

The Canadian robbery allegations against Shuman haven’t been proven in court.

He boarded a commercial plane in Munich, Germany, on Tuesday escorted by two York cops and a Peel Regional Police officer, sources say. But the aircraft landed in London, England, when the accused feigned illness.

He complained of chest pains and forced the plane to land, sources say.

While at Heathrow Airport, sources say Shuman allegedly tried to escape custody and a scuffle ensued. Once the dust settled, the commercial airline refused to allow the accused back on board.

Authorities spent the next four days trying to make new arrangements for Shuman’s flight home before finally putting him on a private jet.

The flight took off from Heathrow Saturday morning, stopped briefly for refuelling in Newfoundland, and landed at Pearson International Airport shortly before 3 p.m.

An entourage of York and Peel cops was waiting on the tarmac to greet Shuman and load him into a dark SUV.

“It’s been a long haul,” one officer said.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT SHUMAN:

Born in Los Angeles County, California, in 1962.

Obtained French citizenship through his maternal grandmother, a war bride who sailed from France to New York with her daughter, 2, in 1946.

After high school, he served in the U.S. Navy and studied fashion merchandising at a vocational school.

Moved to Miami in the early ’90s, positioned himself as a land developer and lived a lavish lifestyle despite having no sales for three years.

Turned out he was supporting his lifestyle by robbing banks.

His life began to unravel in July 1993 after a heist in Brentwood, a suburb of Nashville. A dye-pack exploded, forcing him to abandon the cash.

Driving back to Miami in a rental car 10 days later, cops stopped him for speeding and found tools of his trade in the trunk.

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